Auxiliary pilot for railroad-trains.



1. WOLPER.

AUXILIARY PILOT FOR RAILROAD TRAINS.

A PPLIGATAON FILED JAN. 30. 1911.

1,014,552, A Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WIN/E8858 I/VVE/VTOI? H J, m 43m [fa J97 ATTORNEYS v I. WOLPER.AUXILIARY PILOT FOR RAILROAD TRAINS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 80. 1911.

1,014,552. .Patented Jan.9,1912.

3 SHEET8-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS I. WOLPER.

AUXILIARY PILOT FOR RAILROAD TRAINS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30, 1911. I

Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

l/VI/E/VTOR [saaa 7/02 197 I WlTA/E88E8 49 54 J. Mai/Q4,

. Arron/V578 COLUMBI AZPLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, n. c.

ATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC WOLPER, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUXILIARY PILOT FOR RAILROAD-TRAINS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

Application filed January 30, 1911. Serial No. 605,435.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ISAAC WoLPER, a citizenof the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough ofManhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new andImproved Auxiliary Pilot for Railroad-Trains, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to devices for sounding an alarm in the cab of alocomotive when there is an obstruction on the track, and it has for itsobject to provide means adapted to close an electric circuit on thecontact of an auxiliary pilot truck with an obstruction on the track,the electric circuit being adapted to energize a solenoid for opening avalve in the train pipe, and also for ringing a bell in the cab of thelocomotive.

Other objects of the invention are to provide means for extending theauxiliary pilot truck a distance in front of the locomotive when thepressure in the train pipe is normal, and for drawing the auxiliarypilot truck in the direction of the locomotive when the pressure in thetrain pipe has been reduced to operate the brakes, and to provide meansfor controlling by hand the said means for moving the auxiliary truckrelatively to the locomotive.

Additional objects of the invention will appear in the followingcomplete description, in which the preferred form of my invention isdisclosed.

In the drawings similar characters of reference denote correspondingparts in all the views, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of alocomotive provided with my device; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectionalview showing the reel with its electrical connections, on which the wireextending from the rack member is wound; Fig. 3 is a sectional sideelevation of the auxiliary pilot truck; F ig. 4 is a sectional view onthe line 44 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 ofFig. 6; Fig. 6 is a plan view of Fig. 5 with portions broken away toshow the construction of the parts; Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic viewshowing the electrical connections and the members associated therewith;and Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the method ofconnecting the rack member with auxiliary truck.

By referring to the drawings it will be.

seen that the locomotive 10 is provided with a truck 11 having two axles12 and 13, on which are mounted clutch members 14 and 15, there beinggear wheels 16 and 17 integral with the clutch members 14 and 15respectively. The said clutch members 14 and 15 with the said gearwheels are mounted so that they may rotate relatively to the axles.Additional clutch members 18 and 19 are provided, having annular grooves20 and 21 respectively. These clutch members 18 and 19 are keyed to theaxles 12 and 13, and are adapted to slide thereon so that they may bemoved into or out of engagement with the clutch members 14 and 15.Pivoted to brackets 22 secured to the frame of the I truck 11 there arebell crank levers 23 and 24, to one set of arms of which are securedpins 25, which are disposed in the annular grooves 20 and 21. The otherarms of the bell crank levers 23 and 24 are connected by a link 26.Fulcrumed to a bracket 27 on the frame of the truck 11 there is a lever28, the' link 26 being articulated to one arm of the lever 28 at 29. Tothe other arm of the lever 28 there is articulated a piston rod 30,which projects through an opening 31 in the head 32 of the cylinder 33,mounted on the truck 11. This piston rod 30 is secured to a piston 34, aspring 35 being wound around the piston rod 30 between the piston 34 andgaged by the gear wheel 16. The gear wheel l7 meshes with the gear wheel47 mounted on a shaft 48 journaled in bearings in the truck 11. The gearwheel 47 is adapted to engage the teeth 46 of the rack member 45. Theforward terminal of the rack member 45 is secured to the auxiliary pilottruck 49, which has axles 50 on which are mounted wheels 51. A headlight52 is mounted on the auxiliary pilot truck 49. At the front of theauxiliary pilot truck 49 there are secured projecting brackets 53, towhich are v secured an insulated member 54 having a transverse opening55 in which is disposed a conductor member 56. Around the forwardportion'of the insulated member 54 there is disposed a conductor member57. having radially disposed openings 58, whichopposite side by theconductor links 63.

There is an orifice 64 extending longitudinally through the rack member45, and in this orifice 64 are disposed wires 65 and 66, these wires 65and 66 projecting through the forward end of the rack member 45, thewire 65 being connected with a binding post 67 on the conductor member57 and the wire 66 being connected with the binding post 68 at one endof the conductor member 56. The wires 65 and 66 project from the rear ofthe rack member 45, and are led to the reel 69. This reel 69 has a drum70 on which the wires 65 and 66 are adapted to be wound, the reel beingprovided wlth a spring 71 for rotating the drum 70. The hub 72 of thereel 69 has two insulated conductors 73 one communicating with thecontact point 74 at one side of the reel, the other communicating withthe contact point 7 5 at the other side. The insulated conductors 73lead to contact plates 76 on the drum 70 of the reel, to which the wires65 and 66 are secured. The contact points 74 and 7 5 are engaged byspring contact members 77 mounted on brackets 78 secured to the bearings79 of the reel 69. The wire 80 secured to the spring contact member 77leads to the solenoid 82 and thence to a bell 83, and from thence to thebattery 84, the wire 81 secured to the spring contact member 77 leadingto the said battery 84. The solenoid 82 is provided with an armature 85to which an arm 86 is articulated, this arm 86 being connected with thevalve 87 which is in communication with the train pipe 39. Theengineersbrake valve is shown at 88, and the reservoir tank on thelocomotive is shown at 89. To the arm 41 of the valve 40 there isarticulated a link 90. this link 90 being articulated to a bell cranklever 91, which in turn is articulated to a hand bar 92, by which thevalve 40 may be readily opened or closed by the engineer. To the lever28 there is articulated a link 93, which 'is commanded by a lever 94 inthe cab of the locomotive.

V In using the invention the rack member 45 Will be projected forwardlywith the auxiliary pilot truck 49 when the locomotive wheel47, the teethof the gear wheel 47 engaging the teeth 46 of the rack member 45 toproject it forwardly. WVhen the rack member 45 has been projectedforwardly a predetermined. distance, the continued rotation of the gearwheel 47 will merely hold it in this relative position, since the teeth46 are not continued to the rear terminal of the rack member 45. Whenthe auxiliary pilot truck 49 reaches an obstruction on the track theconductor links 63 by contacting therewith will be driven against thecontact member 57, which will close the circuit previously described,and will ring the bell 83 in the cab of the locomotive, and also openthe valve 87 by means of the solenoid 82. When the valve 87 is openedthe pressure in the train pipe 39 is reduced which will apply the brakesin a well-known manner. The reduction of the pressure in the train pipe39 will also permit the spring 35 to press the piston 34 to the right,thereby operating the lever 28, so that the clutch member 19 will bemoved out of engagement with the clutch member 15, and the clutch member18 will be moved into engagement with the clutch member 14. WVhen theclutch member 18 engages the clutch member 14, the axle 12 which rotateswith the wheels 96 Will cause the gear Wheel 16 to rotate, and as thisgear Wheel 16 engages the teeth 46 of the rack member 45, the said rackmember 45 will be drawn rearwardly relatively to the locomotive.

It will be understood that the reel 69 will at all times take up anyslack of the wires 65 and 66 which may be occasioned by the movement ofthe rack member 45 relatively to the locomotive. By means of the lever94 and the link 93 the lever 28 may be moved as may be desired withoutreference to the pressure in the train pipe, and as has been described,this lever 28 will, by the link 26, the bell crank levers and the clutchmembers, connect the rack member 45 so that it will be projectedforwardly in front of the locomotive or it will be withdrawn at the willof the engineer. The rack teeth 46 do not extend to the auxiliary pilottruck 49, and when the rack member 45 is drawn rearwardly relatively tothe locomotive the gear wheel 16 will be moved out of engagement withthe rack teeth 46. By means of the hand bar 92, the bell crank lever 91and the link 90, communication may be cut ofl between the cylinder 33and the train pipe 39 at the will of the engineer.

It will be understood that when the lever 94 is in a vertical positionby the means described it will hold both clutch members 18 and 19 out ofengagement with the clutch members 14 and 15 and that when it is movedin one direction it will move the clutch member 18 into engagement withthe clutch member 14, while when it is moved in the opposite directionit will move the clutch member 19 into engagement with the clutch member15.

A hook 97 is secured to the locomotive and is adapted to engage an eye98 on the auxiliary pilot truck 49 for holding the auxiliary pilot truck49 close to the locomotive. The auxiliary pilot truck may be dis engagedfrom the rack member by removing the pin 99 which connects the auxiliarypilot truck with the rack member and completes the electricalconnection.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent the following:

1. In an auxiliary pilot truck a frame, an insulator having an openingand a second opening at an angle thereto, extending to thefirst-mentioned opening, secured to the frame, a conductor disposed inthe firstmentioned opening, a second conductor having an opening inwhich the insulator is disposed, and a second opening which communicateswith the second-mentioned open.- ing in the insulator, an insulatedlining for the second-mentioned opening in the second conductor, aspring contact member having a terminal extending through thesecond-mentioned opening in the second-mentioned conductor, and .thesecond-mentioned opening in the insulator, and in electrical connectionwith the firstmentioned conductor, the contact member being adapted toengage the having two terminals extending through the radially disposedopenings in the second mentioned conductor, and the radially disposedopenings in the insulator, and in electrical communication with thefirst-mentioned conductor, the spring contact member being adapted toengage the secondmentioned conductor.

3. A truck, two insulated contact members normally spaced apart mountedon the front of the truck and projecting forwardly therefrom in positionto be engaged by an obstruction, one of the contact members beingadapted to engage the other contact member, means for propelling thetruck, means commanding the firstmentioned means, an armature forcontrollingthe sec ond-mentioned means, and a solenoid commanding thearmature having electrical connection with the contact member.

4:. In an auxiliary pilot truck a frame, an insulator having anopeningand a second opening at an angle thereto, extending to thefirst-mentioned opening, secured to the frame, a conductor disposed inthe firstmentionedopening, a second conductor having an opening in whichthe insulator is disposed, anda second opening in which communicateswith the second-mentioned opening in the insulator, an insulated liningfor the second-mentioned opening in the second conductor, a springcontact member having a terminal extending through the second mentionedopening in the second-mentioned conductor, and the second-mentionedopening in the insulator, and in electrical connection with thefirst-mentioned conductor, the contact member being adapted to engagethe second conductor, a truck on which the frame is mounted, a rodhaving rack teeth secured to the truck, a gear wheel engaging the rackteeth for advancing the truck relatively thereto, means for rotating thegear wheel, means for controlling the last-mentioned means, and anelectric circuit connected with the said two conductors having means forcommanding the means for controlling the gear wheel.

5. A truck, a rod having rack teeth secured thereto, a gear wheelengaging the rack teeth for advancing the truck relatively to the gearwheel, a clutch member secured to the gear wheel, a companion clutchmember for engaging the first-mentioned clutch member, a cylinderadapted to be connected with the train pipe of the train, a piston inthe cylinder, a piston rod secured to the piston, and means forconnecting the piston rod with the second mentioned clutch member foroperating the latter.

6. A truck, a rod having rack teeth secured thereto, a gear wheelengaging the rack teeth for advancing the truck relatively to the gearwheel, a clutch member secured to the gear wheel, a companion clutchmember for engaging the first-mentioned clutch member, a cylinderadapted to be connected with the train pipe of the train, a piston inthe cylinder, a piston rod secured to the piston, and means forconnecting the piston rod with the second-mentioned clutch member foroperating the latter, two insulated contact members on the truck, oneadapted .to contact with the other, a battery, a solenoid, a circuitconnecting the contact members with the battery, and the solenoid, and avalve adapted to be connected with the train pipe commanded by thesolenoid.

7. A truck, two insulated contact members normally spaced apart mountedon the front of the truck and projecting forwardly therefrom, one of thecontact members being adapted to engage the other, a locomotive having atrain pipe, a valve commanding the train pipe, an armature forcontrolling the valve, and a solenoid for commanding the armature havingelectrical connection bers adapted to rotate on the axles respecwith thecontact members.

8. A main truck, an auxiliary truck movable relatively to the maintruck, two contact members insulated from each other normally spacedapart mounted on the auxiliary truck, one of the contact members beingadapted to engage the other, means for propelling the auxiliary truckrelatively to the main truck, and electrical means for controlling thesaid means, having electrical connection with the contact members.

9. A truck, a rod having rack teeth secured thereto, a gear wheel forengaging the rack teth for advancing the truck relatively to the gearwheel, a clutch member secured to the gear wheel, a companion clutchmember for engaging the first-mentioned clutch member, means foroperating the secondmentioned clutch member, two contact membersinsulated from each other, normally spaced apart, mounted on the truck,one of the contact members being adapted to engage the other contactmember, and electrical means for electrical connection with the contactmembers for controlling the said operating means.

10. In combination with a locomotive having a truck, with axles, anauxiliary truck normally disposed in front of the locomotive, arearwardly extending member se-- cured to the auxiliary truck, a clutchmember mounted to rotate on one of the axles of the locomotive, meansconnecting the clutch member with the rearwardly extending member foradvancing the rearwardly extending member by the rotation of the clutchmember on the axle, a second clutch member keyed tothe last-mentionedaxle, and adapted to engage the first-mentioned clutch member, a leveron the locomotive, and means by which the lever is adapted to operatethe clutch.

11. In combination with a locomotive having a train pipe and a truckwith axles, an auxiliary truck normally disposed in front of thelocomotive, rearwardly extending members secured to the auxiliary truck,a clutch member mounted to rotate on one of the axles in the locomotive,means connecting the clutch member withthe rearwardly extending memberfor advancing the rearwardly extending member by the rotation of theclutch member on the axle, a second clutch member keyed to thelast-mentioned axle and adapted to engage the first-mentioned clutchmember, a cylinder connected with the train pipe, a piston in thecylinder, and means by which the piston is adapted to operate thesecond-mentioned clutch member.

. 12. In combination with a locomotive having a truck with two axles, anauxiliary truck normally disposed in front of the locomotive, arearwardly extending member secured to the auxiliary truck, clutchmemtively, means adapted'to be actuated by one of the clutch members formoving the rearwardly extending member in one direction, means adaptedto be actuated by the other clutch member for moving the rearwardlyextending member in the opposite direction, additional clutch membersmounted to rotate with the axles and movable relatively to thefirst-mentioned clutch members, and means for moving one of the saidadditional clutch members into engagement with one of thefirst-mentioned clutch members as the other additional clutch member ismoved out of engagement with the other of the first-mentioned clutchmembers.

13. In combination with a locomotive having a train pipe and a truckwith two axles, an auxiliary truck normally disposed in front of thelocomotive, a rearwardly extending member secured to the auxiliarytruck, clutch members adapted to rotate on the axles respectively, meansadapted to be actuated by one of the clutch members for moving therearwardly extending member in the opposite direction, additional clutchmembers mounted to rotate with the axles and movable relatively to thefirst-mentioned clutch members, means for moving one of the saidadditional clutch members into engagement with one of thefirst-mentioned clutch members as the. other additional clutch member ismoved out of engagement with the other of the first-mentioned clutchmembers, and means adapted to be actuated by a variation of the pressurein the train pipe for moving the last-mentioned means.

14. A truck, a rearwardly extending member secured to the truck, twoinsulated; contact members on the truck, spaced from each other, a wirecarried by the rearwardly extending member, a reel having a contactmember to which the wire is secured, a battery, a solenoid adapted tocommand a train pipe valve, an electric circuit connecting the contactmember on the reel, the contact members on the truck, the wire, thebattery and the solenoid.

15. A truck, a rearwardly extending member secured to the truck, twoinsulated con tact members on the truck, spaced from each other, a wirecarried by the rearwardly extending member, a reel having ,a contactmember to which the wire is secured, a battery, a solenoid adapted tocommand a train pipe valve, an electric circuit connecting the contactmember on the reel, the contact members on the truck, the wire, thebattery and the solenoid, a rotary member engaging the rearwardlyextending member for moving the rearwardly extending member relativelythereto, and means adapted to be-connected with the train pipe andoperable by a variation of pressure therein for commanding the rotarymember.

16. A truck, a rearwardly extending member secured to the truck, twoinsulated contact members on the truck, spaced from each other, two barscarried by the rearwardly extending member, and connected with thecontact members respectively, a reel having a drum with two contactplates to which the wires are secured respectively, electricalcommunicat-ing means leading to the plates, stationary contact membersengaging the electrical communicating means, a battery, a solenoidadapted to command a train pipe valve, and an electric circuitconnectingthe stationary contact members with the battery and thesolenoid.

17. A truck, a rod having rack teeth secured thereto, a gear wheelengaging the rack teeth for advancing the truck, relatively thereto, aclutch member connected with the gear wheel for operating the same, acompanion clutch member for engaging the first-mentioned clutch member,and

means connected with the truck for operat-.

ing the second-mentioned clutch member.

18. A truck, a contact member secured to the front of the truck, asecond, transversely disposed, contact member disposed in front of thefirst-mentioned contact member, in position to be engaged by anobstruction, the second-mentioned contact member being normally spacedfrom the first-mentioned contact member and being adapted to engage thefirst-mentioned contact member, means for propelling the truck, meanscommanding the first-mentioned means, an armature for controlling thesecond-mentioned means, and a solenoid commanding the armature havingelectrical connection with the contact members.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ISAAC WOLPER.

Witnesses:

JOHN P. DAVIS, PHILIP D. ROLLHAUS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

vWashington, D. G.

